Typical maintenance systems of an aircraft provide a user interface that is associated with a vehicle central maintenance system (CMS). Maintenance personnel may access this user interface, for example, via an aircraft data network using a laptop. These systems typically only provide fault and maintenance information in a textual format and by nature are not provided in an environment that effectively facilitates maintenance activities.
For example, maintenance personnel spend considerable time “translating” this textual maintenance information into particular locations of fault components before initiating the maintenance actions. In addition, various equipment fault information is viewed separately in an isolated manner, independent of the geographical properties of the faults. Thus, the existing maintenance system cannot provide an actual cause of the fault that may be based on a particular geographic location where the equipment is installed or path it is run through.
Hence, there is a need for improved systems and methods for providing diagnostic and prognostic information for an aircraft. Other desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.